4 Reasons Why Coffee Tables Are Key To Your Living Room

April 19, 2023

Coffee tables are indispensable pieces of furniture. Let’s explore why they need to be in your living room!

Coffee tables naturally complement sofas and seating areas. Living rooms provide a welcoming environment for gatherings with family and friends. We entertain better with coffee tables. Besides holding drinks and food, they also have remote controls and magazines. Still not convinced? Let’s make a stronger case for coffee tables!

Why do we recommend coffee tables?

There are several reasons why we think coffee tables are essential.

1. Coffee Table Size

We always use our Room Planner tool to lay out a space before shopping, and if you’re furnishing your living room, you should start here. Your coffee table should be 14-18 inches from any seating clustered around it and no more than 24 inches. So if you’ve laid out your floorplan, you should be able to see how large a coffee table you’ll need.

Consider using two coffee tables next to each other for huge living rooms. Or if your living room isn’t a pass-through, you can go even more significantly.

2. Consider the Shape

Different spaces and layouts call for different shapes, but here’s something to consider for a more closed-off design, square or rectangular works perfectly.

If your living room is a pass-through, and you’ll frequently be walking around the coffee table, round works well.

Aesthetically, we like to balance round and square shapes in a space, so if most of your furniture pieces are square (think a sofa with tuxedo arms, square fireplace, and square side tables), a round coffee table adds balance. Alternatively, a fair or rectangular side table works beautifully if you have curvy arms on your furniture, a big round mirror, and round side tables. It’s all about balance.

3. Finish the Room

No room should use the same finish on every surface, so just like with shape, a coffee table can be a way to bring something new into your space. A glossy coffee table will contrast that rough texture if you have a nubby fabric on your couch or more rustic elements. Or if you are using your living room for TV watching, choose a finish you won’t mind putting your feet on, like slightly weathered wood or an upholstered ottoman.

4. Styling Your Coffee Table

Once you’ve picked out your coffee table, consider accessories. For a family room where you’re watching TV, you’ll probably want to leave plenty of space for propping up your feet and placing drinks. A coffee table with a lower shelf works excellently in these spaces because you can place books and trays underneath, leaving plenty of room on top.

Keep all accessories low since you want to be able to see over the top of them. Anything too tall will block your line of vision.

Add essentials: reading material, a tissue box, coasters, a box for remotes, a candle, matchbooks, or anything else you’ll use frequently can be displayed.

5. Coffee Tables and Sectionals

You may approach your coffee table differently if you have a sectional. Many sectionals have a chaise on one or both ends, so you probably won’t be putting your feet on the coffee table. This gives you more opportunity to use glass or metal tables. You can also go a bit smaller here because they’ll be less foot traffic and less entertainment.

We discussed shape above, and here’s an occasion when a round coffee table works. The square edge of the sectional can make a living room feel boxy, so we like adding a round piece here.